3 Best Hiking Trails in Charleston, SC

“Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site features a 3.2-kilometer loop trail, taking an average of 36 minutes to complete. The elevation gain on the trail is approximately 13 meters. Visitors can tour the Adventure, Charleston's only 17th-century replica sailing ship, see cannon fire and observe otters, bears, bison, and other animals in the Animal Forest natural habitat zoo. There are also 80 acres of gardens on the grounds, including a magnificent live oak corridor and the Legare Waring House. The Legare Waring House, one of Charleston's favorite venues for weddings and other special events, combines historic elegance with distinctive and flexible space.”

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“West Ashley Park has over 5.2 miles of trail, the elevation gain is 16 feet. The trail is out and back type. The total trail time taken is approximately 1 hour and 29 minutes. The park opened in 2000 to the public, but progress on new features at the park continued. By 2001, the park included four baseball fields and four soccer fields. The park has bicycle and pedestrian trails crisscrossing the property to Church Creek. The park has amenities like an athletic field, baseball field, basketball court, football field, pavilion, picnic areas, picnic tables, playground, trails, and trash cans.”

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“James Island County Park has 3.5 miles of trail, generally considered an easy route, with an elevation gain of approximately 13 feet. The park features 4 miles of paved trails and 1 mile of dirt paths. Picnic tables are available throughout the park, with the greatest concentration at the Picnic Center. The playground has an accessible surface with many accessible play structures. Saltwater fishing and crabbing are possible from the tidal stream dock. There's gravel parking near the entrance to the dog park, which has a grassy, unimproved surface. The campground offers accessible campsites, a bathhouse, and a store. Wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis.”

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